Forming in 1996 and dropping their first album Goddammit in ‘98, punk rock band Alkaline Trio has been releasing music for almost 30 years now and has always, unfortunately, flown a bit under the radar. Currently consisting of Matt Skiba on guitar and vocals, the bassist and vocalist Dan Andriano, and new drummer Atom Willard, Alkaline Trio originated from Chicago and has held up their image as a very dark, punk and creative rock band for the duration of their career.
On January 26th, 2024, the band released their tenth studio album Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs, being their first album in six years. This has been the largest gap between studio albums for Alkaline Trio yet and it was mainly because of other endeavors the bandmates were involved in. This was also the last project former drummer Derek Grant was a part of before announcing his departure in 2023 due to mental health issues and his want to focus on his graphic design career. This is when current drummer, Atom Willard came aboard. He’s had a history of working with Matt Skiba, touring with the band all the way back in 2001.
For starters, everything involving the band is interesting, from being unseriously involved with the church of Satan to the guitarist, Matt Skiba, allegedly cursing an entire music festival with black magic, so of course their first studio album in six years is a fantastic display of the band’s creativity and talent, with, of course, a flash of their endearing weirdness.
The captivating title of their latest album is definitely a curious one that Atom Willard actually gave an explanation for. “It’s a term (co-lead vocalist and guitarist) Matt (Skiba)’s mom used when she was a paramedic in triage in Vietnam,” said Willard in an interview from The Charlotte Observer. “It was a saying for when sh*t was hitting the fan: ‘It’s blood, hair, and eyeballs out there.’”
Naturally, it leaves the listener wondering what this album entails, and well, it’s quite the treat. Starting off strong with “Hot For Preacher,” The title is a play on Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher,” and is meant to criticize pedophilia occurring in religious groups. Yet, the actual lyrics of the song have nothing to do with the title at all. Truthfully, the title was a placeholder name for the song that was never changed. Yet, just like the song’s title, the lyrics also are very powerful on their own, centering around the struggles of trying to keep moving forward when everything feels like it’s only going down.
Next up are the songs “Meet Me” and “Bad Time” which are catchy, thoughtful love songs with lyrics that will be on repeat in your head. But unfortunately, like a lot of the other great songs in the album, they are outshined by three absolute gems. “Versions of You,” “Scars,” and “Teenage Heart” best represent the entirety of the album. From the memorable guitar riffs to the heartfelt meaningful lyrics, these songs are definitely the ones I reach for. It really depicts the struggles of everyday life in one’s teenage years and early adulthood. It shows the hurt that adolescents go through while they mature and that it might not seem to be serious to others, but it’s their life, and it’s very serious to them. The songs tell a story of nobody has themselves figured out yet, and nobody is the best person they can be yet. But it leaves a message that a person can grow and change, and find where they belong and where they are happy.
Despite being an amazing, captivating album, it’s not for everybody. Honestly, outside of their top-charting songs.. Fans of Alkaline Trio are going to like it because it’s a new spin on their old works. But fans of pop or other genres might not enjoy it, it’s not a very universal album. But if you enjoy punk rock or want to broaden your musical tastes, this album is 100% for you!
